


I'll Take Care of You

by Rincanpy



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Friendship, M/M, Romance, post-eye surgery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2015-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-19 21:31:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9461189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rincanpy/pseuds/Rincanpy
Summary: Prompt: Virus first gets his eyes done and he has to wear bandages over his eyes for a while? He’s literally blind for days, perhaps weeks. Not to mention the fear he’d have incase the procedure failed. He doesn’t know if he’ll be blind forever or not. (Suggested by @boysnbooty)





	

When Trip opened the door, he didn't know what he expected to see. Virus, obviously, but there was something different about his entire being that made Trip uncomfortable. There was a nurse beside Virus who had just finished wrapping a black blindfold around Virus's eyes. Under the black cloth were white bandages. 

Virus had gotten his eye surgery that day, and now he was recovering.

"There," the nurse said. "Don't touch or remove the bandages. Myself or someone else will be back in a few hours to check on you."

Virus lowered his head just slightly and the nurse turned to the door, and she finally saw Trip in the doorway.

"Oh, it's you." She knew this red-haired boy was practically attached to Virus's hip. "Look after him until one of us comes back."

Trip simply stood there and watched the woman walk out. Once the door was shut and the room was silent, Trip went to the side of the bed and looked at Virus.

"Are you okay?" Trip asked him.

Virus turned his head in the direction that Trip's voice came from. He didn't mind not seeing the others, but Trip was different. He wanted to see Trip.

"I don't know," Virus answered, and Trip frowned. He didn't like seeing Virus like this. He was cold and distant, but that wasn't unusual for Virus. Trip could tell that there was something different about him, like something was missing.

"You'll be fine," Trip told him and sat on the bed next to him. "Do you know when you'll be allowed to take the bandages off?"

"A couple of weeks. That's what they told me."

Trip watched Virus's mouth move as he spoke, and even without seeing his eyes, he knew that Virus was upset. He could tell.

"Trip. There should be pills on the nightstand. Can you get them for me?"

The request made Trip's eyes widen. When he looked to the side, he saw a glass of water and a bottle of pills. He grabbed them.

"How many?"

"Two."

Trip poured two onto his hand and picked up the water. "Do you need help?" he asked softly.

Virus shook his head. "Just hand them to me."

Trip did as told and placed the pills in Virus's hand and gave him the water. Once Virus swallowed them, he spoke again.

"Does it hurt?"

Virus lowered the glass from his lips. "Yes."

"Does the...surgery hurt?"

"No. They put you under for it." _'It is scary though...'_  he thought, but he didn't want to say it aloud. "It hurts when the anesthetic wears off."

"Anesthetic?" Trip questioned, not knowing what it was.

"Yes, it—" Virus paused. "Never mind. It's not important." He sighed and leaned back against the wall.

"So, you have nurses helping you, right?"

Virus nodded once, and Trip smiled. "That must be nice."

"I hate them." 

The words made Trip feel a little cold. There was a lot of hate and anger in Virus's voice, and it was a bit strange to hear it since he was usually so reserved and quiet.

Trip apologized, and then thought for a moment. 

"Hey, I have an idea!" he chirped. "That nurse told me to take care of you until she comes back, right? So what if I just take care of you all the time? Then you won't have to deal with them as much."

Virus sat there in silence.

"What do you say? Virus?" Trip reached out and touched Virus's hand but he flinched back immediately. The touch was unexpected, as he couldn't see it. Trip took the hint and didn't touch again, but waited for Virus's answer.

"Fine," Virus agreed. "But I doubt the nurses will let you."

"I'll make them let me!" Trip spoke proudly. "Besides, they can't stop me from hanging around you. I do that anyway."

Virus huffed out a small laugh, his lips twitching into a little grin. "Right."

/

A few days later, Virus was awoken by Trip. The little red-head barged into his room with a tray of food and loudly pronounced, "Good morning!" to a very sleepy, very irritated Virus. As it had been the usual routine for the past few days.

Virus sat up, rubbed at his head, and yawned quietly. "You're too loud, Trip."

Trip rolled his eyes and walked over to the bed. "I brought food," he spoke in a lower tone, but not exactly a soft one.

Virus turned his head when he felt Trip's weight sink onto the mattress. The sound of his voice caught his attention. Trip had a way of being very childish and even outgoing at times, but he had a side where he was colder and serious, and oftentimes violent. Virus heard it then, but he didn't like the context. 

"The nurse said you haven't been eating." Trip moved the tray onto Virus's lap.

Virus didn't reply but he tilted his head down as if looking at the tray.

"You'll get sick if you don't eat," Trip told him. He knew his words were falling on deaf ears, though. In Virus's situation, he didn't want to listen to anyone.

After waiting in silence to see if Virus was going to respond, Trip eventually moved closer to the other boy and sat by his side. He reached over and picked up one of the small sandwiches from the tray, and then brought it up to Virus's lips.

"Open your mouth," Trip spoke softly but he was commanding Virus. It took a few seconds for Virus to obey, but he finally parted his cracked, dry lips. Trip carefully put the sandwich between them and let Virus bite down. It was clear that Virus didn't enjoy the food, or just didn't enjoy eating in general. It took him almost a minute to chew and swallow one bite.

"There. That wasn't so bad, right?" Trip smiled softly even though Virus was frowning. "Keep going," he encouraged him. Surprisingly, Virus opened his mouth again and leaned forward to take a bite. He chewed faster this time, and consistently ate until both of the little sandwiches were gone. Next, Trip helped Virus eat the now cooled-off soup, and when it was gone, he set the tray on the dresser next to the nightstand.

"The nurse asked me to help you take a bath today." Trip grabbed one of Virus's hands. "Let's go."

Virus hesitated, but he let Trip guide him off the bed and down the hall to one of the shower rooms. He had Virus sit on the toilet as he filled the tub, and once it was full, he began to help Virus out of his shirt and shorts. 

Trip could only guess what Virus's expression was. He was constantly frowning, but he was probably furrowing his brows as well. He knew that Virus was upset and feeling terrible; he was sure that he'd feel similar when it came time to get his surgery as well.

After helping Virus into the tub, Trip took the showerhead and turned it on. He gently sprayed Virus's hair until it was wettened, applied the shampoo, minding the bandages, which was fairly difficult, and then rinsed it. As he did, he noticed how tense Virus's shoulders were — lifted up and practically hiding his face between them.

Wanting to help, Trip put the showerhead down, placed his hands on Virus's back and shoulder blades, and rubbed at them gently. He felt Virus twitch and tense up more, and he realized that there was nothing he could do. He accepted Virus's rejection and simply washed some of his body with soap, and then helped him out.

Trip retrieved clean clothes for Virus, which looked identical to his previous shirt and shorts, and helped him dress. He gently dried his hair, careful not to hit or bother the bandages. He took Virus's hand again and looked at him. He wasn't moving. Trip could barely even see his breathing, his body was completely still, and his hand was limp in his own. With a small tug, Trip led Virus out of the washroom and back to his room.

Back in the room, a nurse was waiting for them. She told them both that she was to re-wrap Virus's bandages, and that Trip could leave. Trip looked up at Virus as the woman walked to them, and then slowly let go of his hand. He looked behind him as he left the room, knowing that Virus hated being left with the nurse.

/

A few weeks later in the morning, Trip was on his way to Virus's room with his breakfast. When he opened the door, his eyes widened when he saw a nurse standing beside the bed, with Virus sitting up. 

The woman turned when she heard the door open. "Oh, it's you."

Trip walked in and stared up at her. "Is something happening?"

"Yes," the woman smiled. "We've been given the okay to remove his bandages. His eyes should be completely healed now, so I'm here to do that."

Trip took a step toward her. "Please let me do it!" he spoke with determination.

"Excuse me?"

"I want to take them off for him."

The nurse hesitated, but then remembered how close these two boys were. She wasn't really required to remove them herself; Virus could do it himself if he wanted.

"Very well. After he eats, have him come down to the laboratory for a checkup, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am," Trip nodded.

After the nurse left, Trip sat the tray on the table and climbed onto the bed so he was sitting directly in front of Virus. He could tell that Virus was nervous by how he was sitting so still and tense. For weeks, all Virus knew was darkness, not able to see anything, and was worried that he'd see that darkness for the rest of his life.

"Are you ready?" Trip asked softly.

In truth, Virus wasn't completely ready. He was scared, but he knew he couldn't leave the bandages on forever. With some hesitation, he nodded slowly.

He felt Trip's hands move through his hair, find the knot of the black cloth, and then undo it. His heart started to beat faster and he bit his lip when his nerves began to get to him.

"Don't worry," Trip mumbled to him. He felt bad that Virus was this upset. Trip had never seen Virus so vulnerable before, and it was alarming.

Once the cloth was off, Trip moved on to the bandages. He unraveled them, and then gently pulled it away from Virus's eyes. Trip looked at him and frowned. Virus wasn't opening his eyes and even seemed to be squinting them shut. Trip's eyes fell on the scars beside each eye that were still healing; they looked painful.

"You can open your eyes now, Virus."

Virus sucked his lips into his mouth, a sign that he was nervous and hesitating.

Trip then took Virus's face into his small hands and smiled at him. "Your eyes are so pretty. I miss seeing them."

Virus tilted his head up just slightly, feeling surprised by Trip's statement. "Okay..." he forced out and then slowly opened his eyes. They felt stiff and sore, but as soon as they cracked open, the bright fluorescent light filled his vision and hurt for a moment. He blinked and then his eyes focused on the little red-head in front of him, who was smiling softly and looking like he was waiting patiently. 

"I can see..." he muttered out, almost like he didn't believe it. After hearing the words, a large smile broke out on Trip's face. Virus sighed heavily, slumping his shoulders down in relief. He could finally relax. He could still see.

"I can see," he repeated, but suddenly tears began to pour from his eyes and down his cheeks, as if someone turned on a faucet.

Trip looked a bit alarmed and stood onto his knees. He slid his arms around Virus's shoulders and head, brought the blond's face to his chest, and then hugged him close.

"They're just as pretty as I remember," he cooed to him softly. He felt Virus trembling just slightly as he continued to cry.

Virus's chest felt tight and he couldn't stop crying even though he wanted to. He was so much older than Trip, and here he was crying like a baby, but even so, with Trip cradling him and shushing him quietly, he felt a little better about everything. He'd never admit it to Trip, but he was grateful for the last few weeks that he's taken care of him and looked after him.

After finally calming down some, Virus gently pressed his face against Trip's chest. His hand reached up and touched Trip's small arm, holding him; acknowledging his comfort in his own way of saying 'thank you.'

/

/

Trip opened his eyes to a darkened room. He rolled over and face the mirrors across from him and stared at his reflection.

_'It's been a long time since I've dreamt of the past,'_  he thought. _'I wonder what brought that on...'_

He shook the thoughts off and went to take his shower. Afterwards, he entered the kitchen where he, to his surprise, found Virus sitting at the table drinking coffee. It was very rare for Virus to be up before Trip, and there was definitely something off. Virus's hair wasn't styled and looked like it wasn't even brushed, as it stuck up randomly in several locations, but laid down in others.

"What are you doing up so early?" Trip spoke a bit teasingly. "Usually I have to wake you up."

Virus glanced up, "I didn't sleep well," he answered groggily.

Trip walked to him, leaned down, and inspected his face as Virus just stared at him. The man looked bad. His face was a bit droopy with exhaustion and his eyes were getting circles under them. There was only one reason why Virus wouldn't get enough sleep, and that was a nightmare, and Trip knew all the nightmares that Virus had.

Then, a grin appeared on Trip's face and he pressed one finger under Virus's chin. "They're still pretty."

Virus, confused, frowned and furrowed his brows. "What?"

"Your eyes. They're still pretty," Trip repeated.

It then hit Virus that Trip said those exact words many years ago as well, and the realization made his eyes widen. How did Trip know that he had a nightmare of his surgery? Was he really so close to him that he could just tell? It baffled Virus, but it also made him happy that he didn't have to actually tell Trip what was wrong with him; the man just knew.

Still smiling, Trip leaned closer, pulled Virus's glasses off, brushed his messy hair away from his face, and kissed the small scar beside one of his eyes. He let his lips linger there for a few seconds, waiting to see how Virus would react.

At first, Virus wanted to pull away out of initial shock, but his eyes narrowed, and he gave up the idea of pulling away. Even after all these years, he still found comfort in Trip's touch. He felt a little embarrassed that he had to be comforted about the same topic as years ago, but he figured that it didn't matter.

After a moment, Virus leaned his head against Trip's shoulder, nuzzling it so slightly that it was barely noticeable. It was his way of saying 'thank you,' as he had a hard time saying it out loud, especially about these types of things.

"Feel better?" Trip asked as he rubbed up and down Virus's back.

"Yeah," Virus said, paused, and then muttered out, "But now I can't see without my glasses."

**Author's Note:**

> This was really cute to write, though it took forever to actually get done because the past few months have been really stressful for me. I’m glad I finally finished it though! I hope you liked it!
> 
> Notes:  
> +I know young!Trip is really OOC, but I love imagining that Trip was this little beam of sunshine around Virus when he was younger, even if in reality he kinda wasn’t, but I just like to imagine it. Maybe after a year of them knowing each other, Trip trusts Virus completely and looks up to him so much, so he gets really happy when he’s around him, but when they’re in public or he’s without Virus, he’s cold, mean, and distant again.  
> +I enjoy Virus having nightmares of his childhood. I feel like nightmares are something that Virus can’t ignore and they really get to him, and Trip is the only one who can comfort him.


End file.
